AllConsuming.org.uk

I was walking along my road on Saturday morning to get the paper (the Guardian of course).  Two things happened. First a motor bike courier pulled up in the front of a female cyclist.  I was expecting some terrible row about dangerous cycling or driving and was starting to think about whether and how to intervene if there was trouble.  The courier pulled off his helmet and the cyclist looked quizzically and then burst into a huge smile. The two then embraced – long lost friends had bumped into each other.  The pleasure was palpable. Walking back, with my paper they were still busy catching up. The joy seemed exquisite.

On a bit from our two friends re-united in a row of houses one stuck out – for the very good reason that it was already plastered in Christmas lights.  My heart sunk. The season to splurge has begun, as it always does ridiculously early. Its a social act to decorate ones house with lights but its also an act of consumption and a symbol of the shopping frenzy to come.

There in a few steps the contrast between what really makes us happy and what keep us on the treadmill.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 13th, 2009 at 9:30 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.